Classic Poem

Divers rare gems in thee, Oh Union! shine:
First seven Margarets in thy jewel stand;
Matildas three, three Janes of regal line,
Two royal Marys, two Elizas, and
One Is'bell, Anne, Sybill, and Margery,
All royal gems, set princely shine in thee.

But first in it doth Agasia shine,
Who first with Durstus it began to make;
Then Marg'ret next, of our king Edgar's line,
Whom Malcolm, King of Scots, to wife did take;
Whose grandchild Maud, our Emp'ress, did conjoin,
Scots, Saxon, Norman blood in our King's line.

For their child Maud, our first Henry did marry;
Of them Matild', our said Emp'ress, did spring;
By whose second husband our kings did carry,
Name of great Plantagenet: then Scots' king,
First Alexander, did Sybilla wed,
Who sprang from our William Conqueror's bed.

The third Matild' their first king David married,
Earl Waldoff's daughter, niece to great king William:
Jane, our king John's daughter, thither was carried,
By their second Alexander: after came
Their third king Alexander, who did marry
Another Marg'ret, daughter of our third Harry.

From them two did another Marg'ret spring,
Who, by Norway's prince, a fourth Marg'ret had,
Scots' infant queen, whom, first Edward our king
To have married to his son would have been glad.
So Scotland's peers would too: her death said, nay,
Which only this great Union then did stay.

Though that most noble and victorious king,
This natural Union could not then advance;
Another he as great t' effect did bring
When he his son married to th' heir of France,
Is'bell; by whom since all our kings have claimed
The crown of France, which some of them have gained.

Though this, our second Edward did prevent,
That he from Scotland did not take his wife:
His daughter Jane performed his intent,
With second David; spending there her life.
He did the child of second Edward marry,
As third Alexander did of our third Harry.

Without issue they died; then Margery,
Their first king Robert's daughter, Bruce by name,
Scot's queen by birth, must needs remembered be:
By whom Lord Stewart did increase his fame.
From them second Robert; and James Stewart from him
Third Robert named, whence first James did begin.

A valiant prince, who spent his youthful prime,
In martial deeds with our fifth Henry in France:
To whom our sixth king Henry in his time,
Jane, our third Edward's grandchild, did advance
In marriage; she of Henry Beaufort sprung,
Somerset's earl; was virtuous, fair, and young.

Fifth Margaret, Richmond's countess, forth did bring
Our seventh Henry, who one division ended,
With Eliza, heir of our fourth Edward king:
From both whom great'st Marg'ret of all descended:
From whom and fourth James, fifth James Scottish king,
And from him Mary, Scots' last queen, did spring.

Fourth James being dead, Marg'ret did Douglas marry;
They a daughter Marg'ret had, Earl Lennox' wife,
Whose son, Lord Darnley, married their last Mary,
Of whom comes Charles James, finisher of strife.
Who with Anne makes Union, by the childless death
Of our Queens, Mary and Elizabeth.

The rarest pearls, and richest Margaretes all,
Which ever did in any jewel stand:
The rarest jewel too, and most angelical,
Almost made up by God and Nature's hand,
By men to be finished, to this Isle sent:
Then to be worn for her best ornament.